Finding home
by Chris Noack
Summary: When Aileen started dreaming about a rocky, green place, she thought nothing of it and relished in the beauty. But what happens when she is suddenly thrown into a world that seems to tear apart at it's very seams? Will she be able to help those who try to fight against it? Will she find friends in that strange organization called Inquisition? Rating might go up later on.
1. Prologue

_Slowly Aileen waded deeper into the ocean laying before her. Her white dress already started to soak but it didn't matter. In this place, nothing really mattered except her being here again. Finally she was in deep enough to start swimming. She turned around to swim on her back and gazed lovingly into the deep green sky above her. She relished the silence and her isolation. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she felt the tension of her body slowly cease away._

 _After what felt like hours of peaceful resting, there was a sizzle in the air making her knit her eyebrows. There_ _ **never**_ _was a sound here. She didn't even know if she was able to speak - there never was a reason to try. She decided to look for the scource of this sound and got out of the water. Taking a look around she noticed a passage she hadn't noticed before enticing another smile. She loved the fact this place seemed to change every time she came here. Her heart leapt at the thought of exploring a new corner of her private little place._

 _She followed the path unfolding in front of her. Just when she thought it would possible never end she rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. There was another person standing there. Slightly smaller than herself and dressed in strange clothes the figure held something that looked like a... crook? No. It was more of a... staff. The figure didn't take notice of her because she was standing in his back. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, as the figure suddenly started to turn. Just when it needed only an inch more to see his face she felt a familiar tug at her conscience. She wanted to cry out and stop it, but it was to late._

She woke with a start, heart still pounding at a rediculous speed. This was the first time she had met anyone in the land of her dreams. Shaking her head, she got up and ready for school. The thought of that stranger never left her mind during the whole day which didn't go unnoticed.

As lunch arrived, her best friend quietly set down beside her in the grass, clearly giving her a bit of space before voicing her concerns.

"You seem out of it today, Leeny." she said taking a bite of her nectarine. "Did you dream again?"

Aileen side glanced at the other girl. She still wasn't sure if it had been a good idea to tell her about that place. She had been there often in the past year and her visits there were becoming more frequent. She had tried to explain to her friend that she wasn't really _dreaming_. It felt too real, as if she went to a different place. She chose her words with utmost care.

"I actually did, yes. And.. I met someone there."

Her friend raised an eyebrow. Aileen was known not to be the most sociable person on the campus. For her to dream about meeting someone was a big surprise. It obviously took her a few minutes to process what Aileen had said and when she opened her mouth to dig further into that topic the bell rang signalizing the end of lunchbreak. The girl shot her best friend a look saying 'We will talk about this later.' before standing up. She held out a hand to help Aileen raise off the ground. Smiling, she accepted the gesture. She was not yet actually standing when her vision suddenly went green for a moment and she felt that familiar tugging on her mind. Clinging on her best friend in order not to fall she tried to regain her balance. The feeling only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to gain her a quizzical look.

"Is everything alright?" Aileen plastered a fake smile on her face. "It's nothing. I probably just stood up too fast." She forced out a small laugh for good measure and that seemed to allay her friends worries. Just as it always did. The thought clouded her eyes a bit, but that went unbeknownst to her friend.

It was on her way home after school was out that the tugging retourned though more gently this time. She slowed down and let her mind wander. It took her a few minutes to notice that the tugging seemed to get stronger and weaker depending on where she went. It made her curious if it wanted to pull her somewhere. Deciding that there could be no harm in wandering around a bit, she began to follow it.

An hour later Aileen walked through the forest that spread across the northern border of the town she lived in. The tugging had become strong enough so she thought she actually could feel it physically. But what really got her to tense a bit was the atmosphere in this forrest. It somehow felt like the air around her was thickening and loading up with some foreign energy. She seemed to have reached her destination when she felt the tugging going up into the sky.

As she looked up the earth beneath her suddenly tore open and with a deafening shriek she fell.

* * *

Author's note:

Well, this is just something I thought about and really needed to get out of my system.  
I don't know how far through I will write this story, but I hope you will enjoy it. =)

And if I write nonsense sentences, use phrases/words in the wrong way, etc. please tell me.  
I am not a native english speaker so I might still do mistakes but I would love to improve.


	2. Chapter 1

Striken with fear, Aileen cowered behind a line of rocks. Her whole body trembeled and she could hardly oppress the tears which threatened to fall from her eyes. This was _not_ what she expected when she followed that damn tug. Holding her breath she glanced around the corner of her hiding place. Striken with fear she didn't know if she could believe her own eyes. Just what were these things? One of them looked like lava. Living lava. Another one resembled a ghost. Hovering above the ground and everything. Swallowing hard, she went back into hiding and sent a silent plea for anyone to help her. She didn't know how long these creatures would stay there or how to escape them, not that she had anywhere to run to if they actually left.

She still didn't know what exactly happened. One moment, she was wandering around trying to find the place the tugging wanted to show her and the next she was falling through a wall of green light. She had hit her head when she landed on the ground and found herself in this foreign area directly below some glowing green crystal thing which made her body scream at her to run and hide. She was glad she acted on that instinct. Only seconds later those creatures had started to come out of that crystal.

A shudder shook Aileen's body and she hugged her legs thight to her. Her clothes were mysteriously gone and she was now wearing the white dress she always wore when dreaming. Considering the snow all around her, it was only a matter of time that she fell asleep and never woke up again. It had occured to her that she actually might be dreaming, but this was neither her land of dreams nor did she feel unstuck from her body. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her fluttering nerves.

She needed to find a way out of this.

Trying to find a somewhat logical explanation to her current situation, the only thing she could come up with was that she somehow fell into a different dimension. It was stupid and irrational and it went beyond the common believe that any other dimension than the one she grew up in existed, but _if_ that believe was false then her being here would be plausible. Although she knew this should have the exact opposite effect on here, it actually eased her mind. An alternate universe was easier to handle than going crazy, yes? Following that track of mind, she considered what meaning that tugging at her mind could have had. A soundless laugh escaped her lips and she shook her head when the term "providence" entered her mind. As if an ordinary girl like her had any special destiny in her world - let alone another one.

Nevertheless the tugging was what had ultimately led her here. Maybe if she was able to reconnect with it, she would be able to go home. Or at least get out of the cold before she froze to death. Having read about something called visualization only a few weeks before Aileen decided it was an as good method as anything else she could come up with. Taking another deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to remember what the tugging had felt like. She focused on her memory and tried to make her body feel like that again.

Minute after minute went by and Aileen was starting to doubt if this would work. She was about to give up when she felt the feeling she was looking for light up within her mind like a small flame. Relieved she tried to grasp it and after a few attemps actually got a hold of it now able to slowly coax it into growing. Not really knowing what she was trying to achieve, she tried to reverse the sensation that led her here and pulled on it.

...

Evelyn was just walking through the outer gate of Haven on her way to the Smith when a fierce pain suddenly errupted in her head. Crying out she fell to her knees. Almost instantly both the Commander and the Lady Seeker were at her side. She allowed the man to pull her up again as the pain slowly subsided until the only thing left was a constant throbbing.

"Are you alright, Herald?" asked the woman. Without even looking at any of them, she nodded. There was a strange feeling which she couldn't really place. At least not until one of the scouts that were positioned in the area came running over, a distressed look on his face.

"There's a rift. A rift just opened." he cried out.

Almost instantly, Evelyn pulled her staff off her back and ran in the direction the Scout had come from. She heard commander Rutherford shout for her to stop but there was no time to wait for backup. The rift was far too near the village. She wouldn't let the pilgrims or any of the recruits get hurt.

When she got to the rift, there had luckily only four demons passed the rift. She froze them into place, save the rage demon. That was an aspect she hated. She struck it down with a thunder bolt and quickly interferred with the rifts energy. Four demons she would be able to handle but she had to make sure that no more would come out of it before she could take them on. She felt it crack and hastily got to work.

Five minutes later, she had finally closed the rift and let herself sink on her knees. Breathing heavily she cursed. When did she become this out of training? Five years before she would not have had a problem with the amount of mana she had used. Not wanting to think about times when she was still somewhat free, she got to her feet again and wanted to go back to Haven. She could hear a group of people get nearer. Templars, by the sound of their armour.

Sighing, she shook her head about what they would tell their comrades tonight in the tavern. With how utterly out of propotion the stories got around here, she would probably have sliced down a group of ten to fifteen demons by one swipe of her staff. It was then, that she saw a movement out of the corner of her eyes. She turned and saw something or someone hide behind a line of rocks. Holding onto her staff, Evelyn slowly rounded the hiding place readying herself to attack if need be. She soon lowered the staff however as she came face to face with an obviously frightened girl. Not knowing what to do for a moment, the herald heared footsteps in the snow behind her. Turning she saw a rather angry commander approach her.

"What did you think, running off on your own? You could have died!" Crossing her arms, the mage let him go on about how recless she had acted. Her gaze fell upon the girl again, which still seemed frightened but not as much as before. By what Evelyn could tell, the commander's triad confused her. She was about to approach the girl with a reassuring smile when a wind got up and it flinched from the cold. Only now the woman became aware of what the girl was wearing. Now openly ignoring the ex-templar, she practically ran to the girl to scoop her up and get her out of the snow.


	3. Chapter 2

They strode down the way to their improvasional war council room. Lady Seeker Penthagast was explaining bits and pieces about the geographical obstacles awaiting Evelyn in the Hinterlands on her first official mission for the Inquisition.

"It would probably be best if you didn't wander off too much from where our scouts have seen Mother Giselle. I have not heard of any area where the mage-templar war is stronger than there."

Evelyn just nodded and tried to store everything she heard in her head while trying very hard not to look at the person on her other side too much. _This is no good_ , she thought. _We haven't even began and I am getting distracted by a man._ Absent-mindedly she rolled her head to get some of the building tension on her neck to ease. Oh, how she wanted to open that bun taming her hair. But if she led her tresses down now, she might struggle to later put them up again and that was something she didn't have time for.

"Are you even listening, Herald?" the Seeker sighed, making Evelyn shoot her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Lady Penthagast. It's a bit difficult to concentrate for hours. But you will accompany me to the Hinterlands, along with Varric and Solas, right? How should I be able to wander off on my own if I'm being closely watched by all of you?" The mage winked at her companion and fluttered her eyelashes at her showing off the most puppylike expression she could muster. She couldn't help the laugh when Cassandra just waved her off with one Hand and grinned proudly at the commander only realizing she was doing it when she saw the hint of a smile creep onto those enticing lips of his. Suddenly embarrassed she looked back at the Seeker and her gaze brushed past the door behind which their little guest was sleeping.

Worry took over her features when she asked if the girl had woken. Cassandra shook her head.

"She has been sleeping for two days now, but Adan says she will wake soon. Her body temperature was back to normal in the evening."

Not being able to just leave this be, she excused herself from her companions, telling them that she would join them in the war council room soon. She knocked lightly at the door and went in without waiting for an answer.

...

Aileen wrapped herself up in the covers which kept her comfortably warm. Keeping her eyes closed, she wanted nothing more than to be greeted by the sight of her own room once she opened them. But she knew this wish would go unfullfilled. She could feel it. This was not her bed. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she bit them back. At least she was alive. Rescued by that strange woman with the red hair. When the woman had come up and simply killed those creatures using something that looked suspiously like Magic, she didn't know if this was for the better. She could have roasted her on the spot, had she deemed her dangerous. She probably got lucky that man clad in armour distracted the mage. Though that had been the next surprise. From all she had seen this world resemled a medieval fantasy setting from a series or video game.

She admitted defeat to herself, opened her eyes and sat up in the pretty big bed resting her back on the headboard. No matter what the meaning behind all of this was, she knew it wouldn't resolve itself. She couldn't just wait for this world to disappear or to wake up or whatever was wrong with her head. Getting back on the track of her thoughts when she was out of the snow she sighed inwardly. It still seemed stupid and absolutely ridiculous, but maybe she _was_ here for a reason. She just had to find out what that could be and pray she would be able to accomplish it. Shuffling her feet out from under the covers and letting them fall out of bed, she was about to stand up when she heard voices from outside the room.

Aileen tried to listen to their words but they spoke in the same language the armoured man had used. How was she supposed to communicate with these people? In any book she had read, the language had never been a problem. The protagonists simply were able to speak their languages. But of course that would be too easy for her, right? Instead of letting her solve the big problem - whatever that might be - without having to worry over the Little things, no, she had to take the difficult route. The girl was about to grab the next thing she could get her Hands on and throw it on the wall, when there was a knock on the door and it was immediately opened. These people weren't ones for manners, where they? It was the red haired woman that entered the room. The mage. Aileen looked at her warily.

She said something in that foreign language and Aileen could just stare at her blankly. The mages brows furrowed. Was she... suspicous? It occured to her that it might be strange not to say anything. Thinking of what she could say, she settled on the most basic thing. She grimaced a bit because of the close resemblance to a scene in Tarzan, laying her hand on her chest and saying "Aileen". What she said confused the woman for a moment, before realization hit her. It seemed she finally understood why Aileen didn't answer her questions. The mage smiled warmly at her and said "Evelyn" mimicing her gesture. Aileen couldn't help but smile in return. The first hurdle was taken. Things could only go upwards from here on, couldn't they?

...

Evelyn was glad the girl had finally woken. Though Things seemed to have gotten complicated with her as she seemingly did not understand what she was saying. Which was more than odd. Everybody in all of Thedas spoke the common tongue. Which meant this girl was either trying to mislead her, was from one of the lands beyond the borders of Thedas or had grown up without anyone ever speaking to her. She dismissed the last option immediately. If nobody had ever spoken to her, she would have known neither her own name nor how to get the message across.

Sighing, she decided to take the girl with her to the war council room. Maybe Lady Montilyet could tell her where the girl's name originated from. It was their best and only lead. Hoping Aileen would catch onto the meaning of her gesture, she extended her hand for her to take. The girl looked at her with big eyes going back and forth between Evelyn's face and her hand. A few seconds passed until the girl put her own hand in hers and stood up from the bed. Relieved the mage breathed out. It would take some time but they could probably find a way to communicate.

She led the girl out of the room who looked at her hesitantly and tighened the grip on her hand. This was probably very frightening to the girl. Just two weeks ago, she had found herself in a similar situation where she did not understand what everyone else was talking about. True, it wasn't because of the language but because she didn't know what had happened at the conclave. Still, it was somewhat similar. She gave the girl what she hoped would be perceived as a reassuring smile and squeezed the small hand she Held before pushing the door to the war council room open.

The two ladies walked in on the four leaders of the Inquisition fighting as always. Evelyn caught the distraught look of her young companion and tried to soothe her nerves by comically rolling her eyes. This made the girl giggle and almost instantly four pairs of eyes landed on them. While Lady Montilyet and Sister Nightingale only shared a questioning look and Commander Rutherford raised an eyebrow, Lady Penthagast made an obviously disgruntled sound staring Aileen down.

Letting go of the girl's hand and pushing it gently in front of her, Evelyn introduced them all the while keeping her voice soft and letting her left hand rest on Aileen's left shoulder. She used her right hand to point out who she was talking about to the girl.

"Everyone, this is Aileen. Aileen, these are Sister Nightingale, Commander Rutherford, Lady Montilyet and Lady Penthagast."

The girl looked up at her and tried to pronounce their names but failed miserably. Sister Nightingale made a few steps towards them and crouched down to Aileen's height, giving her a warm smile. "Leliana" she said to the girl. Trying to say this other name proved to be easier for Aileen. Following this, everybody introduced themselves again using their firstnames. Cullen and Cassandra were also easy. She only stumpled over trying to say Josephine. After the third try, Aileen huffed annoyed and simply said "Josie".

"Well, that's better than nothing." the ambassador said. Cassandra still didn't look any more friendlier, when she asked what they were going to do with the girl.

"She doesn't seem to understand what we are saying. It's strange, I thought everybody could speak Thedosian²." Evelyn looked at Lady Montilyet for help. "Do you have any idea where her name could come from?"

The ambassador shook her head in denial. "I'm sorry, Herald, but I have no idea. However, I will ask some of my acquaintances. I'm sure we can figure this out." She scribbled a note on her parchment, probably to make sure she didn't forget.

...

Aileen watched as the people around her seemed to discuss something. Seemingly about her, since they sometimes shot her glances. Looking around she noticed the giant map lying on a massive table. She stepped up to the table and tried to figure out what she saw on this map. At least cartography seemed to go by similar standards as back home. She turned and pulled gently on Evelyn's sleeve. The mage looked at her and Aileen made a motion to the map and then to the floor, trying to ask her where this place was. The mage walked up behind her and put her finger down on a place near a large mountain chain and said "Haven". She repeated the word and her motion looking at the woman for reassurance. She nodded and gave her a smile.

Looking back at the map Aileen noticed the letters written above the place Evelyn had shown her. She repeated the name of this place and looked at the five letters. Skimming over the rest of the map, she noticed a different word that Held the same letters. Putting her finger down on the writing she tried to pronounce it. "N.. Ne.. Nev.. Neva..." It made her angry that she couldn't puzzle the last letters. She hoped to come upon something she knew but whatever that place was called, she didn't know it.

"Nevarra" the woman called Josie said and smiled at her. Noticing that they were willing to help her, she put her finger down over other places, letting them tell her how it was pronounced and slowly, but probably faster than should be possible, the letters all got a noisy meaning. Only an hour later, Aileen was able to read the words aloud. She still didn't know their meaning, but at least she could pronounce them. She hoped this could help her learn their language faster.

Sensing that Evelyn and the others had to discuss other things than her, Aileen took a book and looked questioning at the mage. The older woman nodded and Aileen retreated to the room she woke up in. Maybe reading this book aloud would magically allow her to understand it's meaning.

* * *

² I don't think the name of the common tongue of Thedas was ever called by it's name in the games so I am just assuming here.

 **Author's note:**

I hope you liked this chapter. And I hope I will manage to make all chapters a bit longer than the first one and the prologue, but I will always break them off where I see fit. So please don't be disappointed if they end up around 500 words sometimes.


	4. Chapter 3

Aileen turned the pages of the book she was reading. The words still were foreign for her but she slowly got a hang of the right pronounciation. Every time she could not Image just how a certain word would sound, she could ask Josie, who was busily writing on a stack of parchments. The way Aileen had understood it, the People running around in this chantry all belonged to an organization they called "Inquisition". Whatever they were doing - judging by the way everyone was always busy and usually wore a worried Expression - it was pretty important. She had been here for two weeks now and while the first had been alright with Evelyn around who tried to get her accustomed to everything and even teached her some words so she could tell the people around her her basic needs, the second one was both boring and frustrating.

Evelyn and Cassandra had left to go who knows where and there was nobody left who would actively take notice of her inmidst their oh so important Mission. She didn't even know if Josie just answered her questions so she would not ask a second time. The woman seemed to always smile at everyone no matter what she thought at that moment and that made the girl uneasy. If things kept up, Aileen would not be able to communicate properly for months. A sigh excaped her lips making Josie look up from her work. The woman was about to ask something when the door to their room flew open and a man came marching in as if he owned the place. While the man harshly spoke to Josie who had stood up once she saw him and now tried to appease him, Aileen took in his appearence.

The man was clad in similar clothes like Josie with golden embroidery which screamed "I have money.". But what really struck her was the golden mask he wore. Was that porcellain? It certainly looked like it and had to be extremely uncomfortable to wear. Suddenly the man laid his eyes upon Aileen who tensed slightly under his gaze. The worried look that appeared on Josie's face only added to her assumption that this man was someone important. She rose from her chair as elegantly as she could and adapted the way Josie had greeted the man albeit bowing her head deeper and without surprise lingering in her words. The girl could only hope that Josie had actually greeted him with something along the lines of "Hello. It's nice to see you. We weren't expecting visitors." and not insulted him.

Judging from the way he spoke to Josie afterwards it was the first option. Aileen's attention was drawn when she heard Josie mention her Name and all she could do was smile sweetly. How she hated not knowing what they said. A few Moments later, the woman addressed her directly and though she couldn't understand the whole sentence, she picked up the words "book" and "reading" so she nodded with a smile and went back to sit on her chair, taking out the book again.

After the man had left, Aileen noticed Josie staring intently at her, making her fidget on her chair. She flinched slightly as the woman stood abruptly, putting away the parchments she had been working on. Josie rounded her desk and to the girl's surprise, extended her hand for her to take with a smile. Still dubting what this was supposed to mean, she obliged by giving the woman her hand and letting herself get guided out the room. She gasped when they went through the front door of the chantry, both because of the cold and because she had not once left the building after Evelyn had taken her in.

Haven seemed to be even busier than what she knew from inside the chantry but what really drew her attention was the sky. Most of it was just plain old blue sky, but there was a giant green _thing_ up there that triggered a strange feeling in her stomach. Luckily, Josie had other plans than letting her stare at the sky and so she was soon distracted as the woman took her around on a tour through the village, introducing people and pointing out things while she told her the words that fit. Aileen didn't know what she had done to make Josie finally teach her, but she was overjoyed at the chance and sucked up everything the woman told her. Maybe things would now start to fall into place.

...

Evelyn helped Mother Giselle dismount from her horse when they finally reached the gates of Haven. It had been a long ride and she was glad that ordeal was finally over with. Though she knew this would by far not be her last mission for the Inquisition, she hoped they would allow her to rest for a week or two. Their trip to the Hinterlands had taken up more time than they had planned. Originally they only wanted to go to the crossroad, talk to Mother Giselle, and then leave. But once she saw the destruction the fighting templars and mages had left behind, she couldn't just leave. Of course Cassandra had rolled her eyes as if to say "I knew it would come to this." but by the small hint of smile on her lips the mage had known that the other woman also wanted to help those people. And so they had roamed the Hinterlands, weaking both groups by destroying their hidings, closing rifts and doing whatever they could to stabilize the area around redcliff. She now could only hope that the heads of the Inquisition didn't mind that their trip had been extended from seven to ten weeks.

Making her way up to the chantry both Solas and Varric excused themselves and Evelyn wished she could do the same but Cassandra had asked her to attend the war council meetings for the time being. Passing quartermaster Threnn, the mage was surprised to find Lady Montilyet and Aileen wait for them at the steps of the chantry. Shooting Cassandra a quizzical look the other woman just shrugged as she also didn't know what this meant. Both women couldn't help but stare as the girl walked down the last two steps and then went into a formal curtsy, greeting them with her sweet voice.

"I am pleased to see you have returned safe, Lady Herald, Lady Seeker Penthagast."

The girl rose with a smile, pride shining evidently from her eyes. Evelyn looked at the ambassador with arched eyebrows, silently asking how she had done that. Now it was her turn to take the last steps down and told them that Aileen was actually a very fast learner, given the chance and that she had already read almost all books stored in the chantries library. The mage noticed Aileen staring intently at her and fidgeting her feet. She asked if something was wrong, making the girl flush slightly. Her brows knitted in confusion before Aileen cursed a low "Oh, screw the manners" and hurled herself at Evelyn with more strength than she should have in effect making them both fall to the ground. She could hear Cassandra almost drawing her sword as if the girl had attacked her, but the mage calmed her while starting to laugh and hugging the girl close.

She heard Aileen mutter "I missed you, Evelyn." and smiled while gently patting the girl's head. It had not been an easy decision to leave Haven so fast after having found the child and it had left her feel bad most of her trip, always wondering if she was doing well in the care of the Inquisition. Seeing now that her worries hadn't been needed made her feel better and now she knew she could leave her behind when other missions arrived without feeling guilty. She slowly got up at her feet again, pulling the girl up, too. Handing her bag over to the girl she asked her if she knew which of the cottages was hers and if she could take the bag there. Showing her a big grin, Aileen nodded and skidded away to do as Evelyn had asked.

Chuckling, the mage made her way up the chantry steps so they could start the war council meeting. "Excellent work, Lady Ambassador." she said as she held the door open for the other women. As the door fell close behind her, Evelyn knew the next few hours would consist of a lot of talking but at least she would be able to have a talk with Aileen in the evening.


	5. Chapter 4

It had been hours since Evelyn and the others had disappeared into the chantry. Though she had become close to Josie and Leliana the girl was glad the mage was back. The women had been really nice to her, but whenever Evelyn was around, she felt comfortable. Safe. She glanced up at the breach. She still couldn't wrap her mind around what exactly it was, because some words like "fade" couldn't be easily paraphrased. Josie had tried and had told her the fade was the place "where demons reside", which meant it was some kind of hell. Still there was a lingering feeling it wasn't that easy. It couldn't be because the breach emitted a tingly but pleasant energy. Hell wouldn't feel nice, would it? And if it was hell what did that mean for Evelyn? After all, the mage emitted the exact same energy. Maybe she could explain it better than Josie, once they were finished with their meeting.

The girl was abruptly forced out of her thoughts as someone shoved her, making her stumble a few steps forward. Turning her head she saw a younger girl run away giggling and shouting "Your turn.". A smile crept onto her face as she looked around taking in the positions of her playmates. Deciding not to charge the boy standing only a few meters away but the girl that had proven to be the slowest, Aileen charged and engaged in their game. A few weeks back she had found one of the girls crying outside of Haven behind the smithery. She had been searching for her mother. It had been that day when they had explained everything that happened to cause the breach. After that day the girl had started to follow her around, seemingly because she was the only person who had taken notice of her. It wasn't long before all children of Haven sought her out whenever she was not busy learning. She could still not understand why the man who obviously served the chantry did nothing to help them. She did not know of any religion where the children were abandoned in times like this and she doubted it was different in this world. Aileen couldn't deny it felt odd to somewhat take responsibility for the younger ones, since she was basically still a child herself. Still she couldn't bear the thought of leaving them to themselves. It wasn't right. They suffered enough from the loss of their families.

Aileen was lying on her back in the snow laughing with the other children, when Evelyn finally showed up again. Smiling, the girl got up and walked to her side asking if they were done. The woman led out an excausted sigh and gave her a look that made clear they were nowhere near done. Saving the world wasn't that easy apparently, even with magic involved. Or maybe _because_ magic was involved, she thought dryly. Evelyn asked if she would like to take a walk with her and the girl happily complied after promising the children another chase after dinner. As they slowly made their way through Haven and out of the front gate, they told each other what they had been doing the past few weeks and although Evelyn had to explain quite a few words, Aileen thought she understood most of it. Aileen was just telling the woman about the day she found the crying girl, when she a strange feeling in her stomach made her stop. She took a deep breath and looked over to where the troops were trained. She had avoided this person since the beginning because his prescence made her want to throw up. It was similar with quite a few of the soldiers, but something about him was _worse_.

The girl could only stand and stare as Evelyn made her way over to him, a smile on her face that clearly showed a starting affection. She resisted the urge to hold her protesting stomach when the commander greeted the mage with a nod of his head.

...

Evelyn really couldn't help it. She knew she had other things to worry about but after having returned from the Hinterlands and then being locked up in that chantry room for hours, she decided it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of fun. Although it might not have been her best choice to flirt with the commander of the Inquisition's forces. Escpecially not considering how easy it was to trip over the small border of affection into a severe crush which would be no good. That man was a templar after all which meant it already was a miracle he allowed her to walk freely through Haven. She asked him about his templar life and was met with the most handsome blush on his cheeks when she inquired about a possible chastitiy vow. He immediately searched for something else to talk about wanting to change the topic. His eyes fixed on something behind the mage.

"Do you know why the girl refuses to go near me? She seems to be the most open to you."

Evelyn raised her brows and turned around. Sure enough, instead of Standing on her side where she had expected her Aileen was standing a few meters away with a look on her face that made clear she did not want to come closer. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she went back to the girls side and crouched down to be on eye level. When Aileen met her eyes, the mage felt something was definitely wrong with her fosterling. If she didn't know any better she would have thought the girl was ill. But she was perfectly fine only moments ago so this couldn't be it. She still would have to let a healer take a look on her though.

There was a scrunching sound when the commander slowly neared, but Evelyn did not miss Aileen looking more distressed with every step. As she saw the first slight shiffer of the girls body, she made up her mind and stood abruptly in effect making the templar stop dead in his track. She gave him an apologetic smile while grasping the girls shoulder and nudging her softly back to the gates. The lie rolling over her lips felt like the horribly sweet potions she was forced to take when she got ill as a child.

"Aileen is just shy. It will probably get better over time."

They made their way back to Evelyn's cabin in silence. Once there, she told the girl to sit on her bed. Her thoughts were running wild. From all she knew the girl had grown up in some kind of solitude meaning she would have not often come into contact with certain things of the outer world. She left the girl in the cabin telling her she would be right back and went to find Lady Montilyet as she seemed to have been the one looking out for Aileen the most. On her way to the chantry she stopped to have a quick talk with quartermaster Threnn to get what she needed to confirm her suspicion. After that she dashed through the chantry, earning an irritated look from Mother Giselle. Maybe she would apologize later but now there was a more urgend matter on her mind than how to behave herself on holy ground.

Bursting through the door, she found only the ambassador and Minaeve. _Thank the Maker!_ If there had been a noble in here her behaviour would have caused a ruckus. Lady Montilyet looked up from her parchments instantly alarmed by the look on her face. "Lady Herald?" she questioned with a small voice. Evelyn felt sorry because she could almost see the woman rattle through every possible desaster that could have had her running in here like that. She tried to force a reassuring smile on her face but it probably came out as more of a grimace. "I'm sorry to startle you, Lady ambassador, but I got a question about Aileen... Or more like.. about her behaviour around the templars." Evelyn could only hope this would not turn out the way she feared.

* * *

Author's note:

I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write. And then I am evil enough to end with somewhat of a cliffhanger... Phe, can anyone guess what I'm up to? :P


	6. Chapter 5

Varric had found himself the perfect place to idle around while being at Haven. From this spot he could see everyone who entered and left the village while still listening in on the reports the Nightingale got from her scouts. He could watch who bought which weapons and armour and if he ever grew tired of watching he could just walk a few meters and play a few rounds of Wicked Grace at the tavern. This was also the perfect place to pick up rumours and survey the morale. Today, they mostly talked about one person.

"Did you see her? I don't know why she is allowed to idle around. She's old enough to help." - "Always running around with the children. She should behave her age." - "I heard she came back with dung all over her yesterday."

He watched the girl in question who was fueling the discussions by playing Templar and Mage with the kids - or Chasey as she had told them to call it. He had to admit if you just watched the whole scene without actually paying attention it looked like she was just fooling around. But after having observed her for a few hours now, he knew better. What the scouts and soldiers didn't see was that she was not playing with the kids to simply have fun. She did it for them. She entertained them so they could forget about the family they lost and their fathers and mothers who were out on missions who might not come back. Having them all at one place allowed her to make sure they all took notice of the meal times. It went unnoticed to everyone who not fixed their gaze on her face that she constantly watched all of them, making sure nobody hurt themself. And it seemed she was an Observant one, because her eyes darted to one boy more often than the others. It was obvious something was wrong with him, but he tried to hide it from his friends. And she had noticed.

The soft chime of a bell made all children turn to the sound.

He watched on as they all started making their way up the steps and to the tavern realizing it must have been a signal of sorts. The girl carefully made sure everyone of them went ahead before turning to the boy she had supervised the whole time. She crouched down beside him and spoke softly to him, her words causing him to let his guard down and start to cry. She hushed him, cradling him in her arms until the boy got himself together again. It seemed they came to some kind of agreement as the girl stood and took the child by the hand, leading him up the stairs.

They had almost passed his spot, when the boy tensed shooting a worried glance at something up ahead. The girl followed his glance and a small smile played on her lips.

"There's no need to be afraid. Sister Leliana is my friend. She won't hurt you."

The boy's lips quivered, but he let himself get dragged further. Varric wondered what the girl was up to, taking a frightened child to meet with the leaned on the wall behind his campfire and listened intently, to catch everything that was being said.

"Sister Leliana? Do you have a moment?"

"Ah, Aileen. Sure, what is it?"

He could almost see the woman's eyes scanning over the boy.

"You see, Clive's father left with the scouts that returned today, but it appears he wasn't with them. Is he stationed at some camp outside or... "

He could hear the Nightingale shuffling around her papers, probably going through her reports.

"What is your father's name, Clive?"

"I… It's Butler, messere. Butler Belcher."

There was a long silence, until he could hear the boy speak again.

"I see…" The dwarf could hear him sniffling and the girl murmur strange words in a soft voice.

"It's alright, Leeny. I am alright. He died for a good cause. You will close the Breach, yes?"

The Nightingale's reassuring reply was made in a unusually soft voice. Varric had witnessed her talk with the Herald that morning. He knew the man wasn't dead, but it was probably best for the child to believe it.

He watched as Clive ran past him to the tavern and turned in time to see the girl slump down on the bottom of the stairs with a faraway look in her eyes. Knowing that the Herald would have his head if he let the girl catch a cold he walked over and gently prodded her to sit down next to the campfire. It gave him the chills that she didn't so much as react to anything. She must have been really out of it.

He just hoped she would get back to herself before Evelyn saw her like that.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

I know this chapter is extra short, but throwing in another's POV would not make sense. I promise to make up for it with the next one. =)

Also, I know "Butler" is probably only a code name in the game, but.. yeah. ^^"


	7. Chapter 6

Laughing, Aileen snuggled deeper into Evelyn's side. They sat by Varric's campfire with the dwarf and Cassandra and the storyteller lived up to his name. It was the last night before they would be leaving for a place called Val Royeaux and to the girl's delight she had been able to persuade the Herald to take her with them.

After shaking off the first shock of having been thrown into a whole new world she had found to like this place. True, it was cold, their clothes looked weird and apart from Josie absolutely unfashionable, the cooking was not as fancy as and hygiene was mostly foreign to them, but she liked it.

She liked how easy live seemed compared to what she knew. Like, okay, there was a huge whole in the sky but people didn't just sit around complaining about it and panicking - they gathered to do something against it. And the people that gathered here were from all over the world, from all social classes, from all kinds of profession. Still, they got along well. Except for that one conflict with the mages.

It still didn't sit well with her how the people at Haven could badmouth mages all the time and then make a one-eighty when they spoke to Evie. Didn't they know she was a mage, too? The same thing occured to her when she heard Varric talk about his friend Hawke. They had called him Champion of Kirkwall, the whole city laid at his feet, and still they had treated the other mages - his kind - like trash. Until one of them blew up the chantry.

She had had a laughing fit at that which had earned her two bewildered and one pretty angry look from Cassandra. It had taken her around five minutes to explain to them what a glorious move it was, despite the innocents who had died in there. Because, really, what else could have been done that would have made people think?

Talking to the templars? Wouldn't have helped. Talking to the chantry? They wouldn't have allowed a mage to talk to the Divine, even if she herself would have been okay with it. The Divine probably wouldn't even have gotten word that someone wanted to talk to her. Blowing up the circle? Wouldn't have made a statement. They would have cheered. Blowing up the templar barracks? They would have instantly called the right for annulment. Destroying the chantry hadn't been an act of anger, of revenge in her eyes. It had been a cry for help from those within the chantry who actually held power.

The other three had been silent after her explanation ended. Especially Cassandra. The woman had stared into the fire unrespondingly even after Varric had returned to telling his stories. It had made her wonder if she had said something wrong, but Evie told her it was alright, so she left it be.

Suddenly a chill ran down the girl's spine and she recognised a familiar feeling settling in her heart. She knew this from the times her father had taken her to camp with him. He had been astonished, but proud when they found what she used to call 'her special ability'. She could feel predatory animals. That they were around. That they were on the hunt. That they had targeted them. What kind of animal they were.

Her eyes fixed on the deep shadows that enveloped the path that led to the tavern. She couldn't see it, but she knew it was there. A wolf. A big one. And it had targeted her. Her breathing quickened, just as her heartbeat stepped up, when fear manifested in her mind. It could pounce on her any second. She was about to cry out to Evelyn when a man stepped out of the shadows and the feeling dissolved. Or more like vanished in a blink. As if it had never been there.

She was shaken. Something about this world made her senses all weird. She had always been an oddling, but now? How did she manage to feel like an outcast in a world that had seen all kinds of weirdness? When the man addressed her, she only threw him an angry look and hid herself in Evie's embrace.

...

He had only wanted to examine his mark a last time before they were out on the road again when he saw the Herald was in company of the Seeker and the Dwarf. What had made him stop was the girl tugged in on the mage's left side. Or rather, it was the sight of his mark's magic dancing over her skin. It was just a whiff, a fleeting wisp, but it was there.

Judging by the way the Herald held her, this girl must have been the one she had talked about on their journey through the Hinterlands, Aileen. The girl she had found clothed but in a thin dress near a rift. It hadn't interested him at the time, but now? Now he wanted to know who she was. How she came to be touched with his magic without ever meeting him.

He tensed when she moved and looked him right in the eyes. He was standing in the shadows. She should not have been able to notice him. His body relaxed when her eyes started darting around as if she was searching for something. The frightened look on her face made him all the more curious to get to know her. Was she able to sense his prescense?

He resumed walking towards them and took silent joy in watching the girl's face pale. It had been a long time since anybody had been aware of the predator he was. He kept his eyes fixed on her as he stepped out the shadows. She looked bewildered, as if questioning herself. Which meant if she could indeed sense him, she couldn't link it to his form. Interesting.

He greeted the Herald and her companions, turning to the girl last. "I presume you must be Aileen, the girl the Herald speaks so fondly of." He was rewarded with a glare, followed by Varric's laugh. "Looks like our Kitten doesn't like you, Chuckles." The glare vanished as the girl turned to look at the dwarf. "Kitten?" "Yes, Kitten. All sweet and cute and curious and afraid of the big bad men. Plus, Evelyn is Tigress, so it fits double." The girl pouted. "I am not afraid of the Commander. There is just something wrong with him." The last part was mumbled under her breath and he doubted that anybody but him and maybe the Herald had heard it.

Yes, he would definitely enjoy solving this puzzle.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Irk. Stupid jerky egg-head getting all excited about frightening a girl.  
I really like Solas but sometimes you just want to punch him.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.  
Thank you for the follows. =)


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